


The Fool Alone

by TheRoseDuelist



Series: The Apprentice Reversed [2]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, Blood, Multi, Swearing, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:08:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21752752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRoseDuelist/pseuds/TheRoseDuelist
Summary: The others left you behind. But there is danger outside your door.
Relationships: Asra (The Arcana)/Reader, Julian Devorak/Reader, Lucio (The Arcana)/Reader
Series: The Apprentice Reversed [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1567798
Comments: 2
Kudos: 110





	The Fool Alone

It had been his minions that were your undoing, not the Devil himself.

Your friends had left, traveled to the realm of the Arcana to defeat him, leaving you in the palace during the masquerade. You weren’t alone; you could hear the cacophony of laughs and cheers from the guests outside the door to your room. But you felt alone. More alone than you had ever felt in your entire life.

Or at least in the past three years. The rest of your life sealed in your unconsciousness, never to be recovered. It was the only thing that could only answer whether this conclusion was true.

Life before your death…

Blinking away tears, you shuddered and threw those thoughts to the back of your mind. The revelation haunted you. That you had died and been revived...the concept was unreal. Surreal in fact. Your entire existence was a lie. A lie that one of your closest companions had willingly kept from you.

That hurt the most.

A frustrated sigh escaped your mouth. Riling your emotions would do you no good in the state you were in. You were too weak, your strength sapped from the journey to the Arcana’s realm with the Devil and back. Hot anger blasted through you coupled with shame. It had been a clear distraction while your body was stolen and you hadn’t seen it. How could you not have seen it? 

Simple. You wanted to keep your family safe and had willingly given into the Devil’s demand with no thought to the consequences. You seemed to always be doing that. And you had never felt it was wrong.

The subsequent journey to claim a different physical shell and return to Vesuvia had taken the majority of your energy. You needed rest. Hence why you were lying in bed and not with the others. Although, rest would not come. You tossed and turned, your thoughts consumed by the battle the others no doubt waged against the purest form of evil: the Devil.

Unbidden, tears streamed down your cheeks, and you ruminated on the worst-case scenarios that could befall them: purgatory, enslavement, death. God, you couldn’t imagine if one of those came true. There were so many things you had not communicated to each of them, and now you may never have the chance.

A strangled cry erupted from your throat and you shuddered, those words shoving to the front of your mind. Confessions of love, messages of gratitude, statements of forgiveness.

Forgiveness...did you really have it in you to forgive Asra, Julian, and Lucio? 

Asra had lied to you.

Julian had rejected you.

Lucio had stolen your body.

The three closest to your heart had all betrayed you, cut you in different ways though inside you bled the same.

And yet you still loved them.

Your nails scratched the sheets and you bunched the fabric in your fingers, sobs wracking your body. Each movement made your body ache, but you didn’t stop. You couldn’t stop. It was all jumbled in your mind and heart. You felt everything.

Anger. Despair. Rage. Agony. Pain. Fear.

Six faces flashed through your mind. You told them not to go. Pleaded not to leave you. And yet they were each resigned, each needing to play a part in the fight. Asra’s magic was essential to defeat the Devil. Julian was needed to ask for the Hanged Man’s assistance. Nadia’s powers to decipher the truth were necessary to see through the lies of the Devil’s delusions. Muriel’s strength was indispensable to defeat the Devil’s minions. Portia’s quick fingers were critical to untie the chains of the Devil and make him vulnerable to attack. And Lucio’s connection to the Devil would be the ultimate undoing of their enemy.

You begged them to wait until you were strong enough. However, even you knew there was no time. So you begged Asra to perform a healing spell that would replenish your strength. But he wouldn’t. He was afraid you would be hurt with the huge infusion of magic, that it would overload your system and poison you.

And so they gave their goodbyes to you, one by one.

Nadia squeezed your hand. Portia hugged you tight. Muriel lay a hand on your shoulder. Asra kissed your forehead. Julia kissed your cheek. Lucio fell to his knees and kissed your hand.

Then they left.

Hours had passed since that moment and you counted the seconds as they floated by. Your eyes fluttered closed, beginning to give in to the exhaustion your body acutely felt. The exhaustion that you had staved off, hoping to hold vigil until the others returned.

The music outside had died. Though chatter and giggles still could be heard, you began to hear doors open and shut in the guest wing. The lesser nobles and gentry that had the honor to stay the night in the palace after the festivities. 

Gradually, the noise faded into silence, and you slipped into a deep sleep.

A cough woke you. Your throat was dry. Parched. You tried to swallow, but your tongue scraped against your mouth like sandpaper. You needed water.

Pushing yourself out of bed, you draped a silk robe over your body and glanced at the clock. Only two hours had passed. Two hours and they still had not returned.

The thirst clutched your body, strained your muscles. All-consuming. You couldn’t think of anything but the thirst. With a breath, you ambled out into the hallway, slowly, taking your time. Each step cost you energy.

You shuffled down the corridor, your slippers making a ‘shh shh’ sound against the tile you passed over. You stopped at your destination and pushed open the door. Yellow light spilled out and you blinked, momentarily blinded. Adjusting, you made your way through the kitchen to a full water pitcher. You didn’t bother looking for a glass; you picked up the pitcher and drank.

It was cool, streaming down your esophagus, energizing you. Within a minute you drank the last of it. And your body rejoiced. You knew that you were still weak, but the rest and the water and given you some of your strength back.

Relief coursed through you, and you allowed yourself a small smile as you set down the glass pitcher on the counter.

“What do we have here?”

The nasally, snarky voice grated on your ears. Your shoulders tensed and you cautiously turned to see Vulgora, leaning forward menacingly. Their yellow eyes swept up and down your figure and they smiled.

A shiver ran up and down your spine.

The courtiers. You knew that they were demons. Before your friends had departed, before you lost your body, you had successfully freed Volta and Valerius from the Devil’s binds. But Vulgora, Vlastomil, and Valdemar had escaped you before you could do the same.

Vulgora advanced, extending their arms out, blocking your escape. 

“I’ve been waiting for this. To get you alone.”

Fear spiked through you. You needed to get out as fast as possible.

You spun around, your feet rushing towards the exit at the opposite end of the room.

The door swung open to reveal Valdemar, their red eyes gleaming down from above their mask.

You skidded to a stop, heart pounding. You were cornered. You shot a look over your shoulder. Vulgora cackled and waddled towards you, the light glinting off their claws.

You turned your attention back to Valdemar, who strolled forward, tapping their fingertips together, musing. “The Fool ready to slaughter. I look forward to seeing how you tick, where your magic originates.”

“Not before I get my taste first!” Vulgora snarled.

Adrenaline coursed through your veins. If you didn’t do something in the next few seconds, you would be dead.

Out of the corner of your eye, something shined on the counter. You guessed a knife. 

Narrowing your eyes, you crouched. You had one chance, otherwise, the others would never know what happened to you. 

“Oh dear, don’t think you can avoid your fate. Besides, think of the wonders I could discover. Wouldn’t you like to dedicate your body to science? To revealing the mysteries of our world?” Valdemar’s eyes sparkled.

“No,” you breathed.

You reached out with your magic and pulled the knife towards you. Valdemar jumped back, but they weren’t your target. You swung the knife around and caught Vulgora across the face, cutting from side to side beneath their nose. Blood spurted from the gash and they fell backward, shrieking.

“You’ll pay for that, you filthy maggot!”

No time to respond. You hurtled yourself forward, leaping over Vulgora and racing out of the kitchen.

You fled down the hallway, lungs burning. Footsteps pounded behind you. “SOMEONE HELP!” You shouted, desperate.

The hallway ended and you veered right down another corridor, panting. You had no idea where you were going. All you knew was you needed to get away, but your strength was fading.

You dashed around another bend and saw at the far end of the hall that it was a dead end.

“Dammit.” You whispered.

You ran back, but as you rounded the corner, Valdemar shoved you. 

You fell down and scurried backward, meeting the stone wall. You trembled, and your grip around the knife in your hand tightened. 

“Tsk tsk. You’ve slipped through my fingers before, but I won’t let you do it again.”

Biting your lip, you watched as they took out their own set of knives from the pocket of their blood-stained apron and smiled.

A beat. Your eyes locked with theirs. Your heart stilled. Both waiting, and then…

Valdemar lunged but fell short, crashing to the ground. A whirl of shaggy white fur pounced on top of the courtier. Melchior growled and latched onto Valdemar’s ear. Mercedes lunged from the side and bit into Valdemar’s arm. 

The courtier screamed and you scrambled up. You reached out with your magic, summoning your strength and felt for the chains around their soul. They tightened as you reached out to touch them. You pulled and they hissed in your grip, recoiling. You probed with your magic, seeking a weak spot in the links. But there were too many chains wound too tight. 

Then you felt it.

The chains interwoven with the energy of Valdemar’s soul. They were literally chained to the Devil’s power. It was embedded in their essence.

A wave of nausea overcame you and you struggled to keep your composure. You returned to yourself just as Valdemar flung the dogs off of them. Bloody, they bared their sharp teeth at you. “How cute. You couldn’t save yourself so you called the mongrels in.”

Melchior leaped at Valdemar and attacked their ankle. They yelped, trying to shake off the beast. It was your opening.

You lunged at the courtier and plunged your knife into their heart. A bloodcurdling scream roared in your ears and blood exploded from the would, splattering onto your face and covering your hand. Trembling, you watched the shock on their face morph into one of mania. And the light died from their eyes.

You pulled the knife from their body and they dropped to the ground. Gasping for breath, you stared down at the corpse, mind reeling. 

What had you done? 

They were dead.

You had killed them.

There was no love lost, but you had knifed the soul of another being. You had snuffed it out. Erased it from the world. There had been no choice. They were going to kill you and there was no way to save them from the Devil’s touch. Yet still...

“You bitch!”

You looked up to see Vulgora charging, still bleeding from the gash on their face. They flew towards you, their red robes appearing like flames trailing after them. 

Your body tensed, fear boiling in your veins. Closing your eyes, you reached out with your magic and flung up a wall. A smack and a crumbling. Opening your eyes, you saw Vulgora flat on the floor, stunned.

“You filthy little shit,” they hissed.

The words didn’t register. You closed your eyes and held out your hand. Felt the chains around Vulgora, hot and slimy.

“You think you’re going to win, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Your friends are going to be squashed like the rats they are by the Devil. And then he’ll come for all these pesky humans.” Vulgora sneered.

You bared your teeth but you continued to search for an opening, a way to rip the chains from them and cure them of their madness.

“You think you can save me with your little powers. You don’t know what true power is. None of you do.”

“Shut up.” You barked. The chains slapped at your hands.

Vulgora laughed. “Those idiots are walking into a trap. And he will pick them off one by one. Torture them slowly. Drive them insane. Except for the Count. He’ll be a slave, enduring humiliation after humiliation for all of eternity. How do you like that?”

Rage blazed through you and you pulled on the chains.

Vulgora choked. 

Your eyes flashed open as you saw their eyes bulge. Your grip on the invisible chains tightened and the hot metal burned you. Still, you did not release them 

“Don’t you talk about them that way!” You snapped.

“Enough of this.” Vulgora trashed and ripped his chains from your grip. “Time to die.” And he raced for you.

You dodged, the hounds jumping up to attack their lower body. Vulgora flung them left and right, and they whimpered as they hit the wall.

You grabbed his chains again, this time tugging hard. Harder than before.

Vulgora yelped and dropped to his knees. You pulled again, the chains clenching around his soul. He began to writhe. “Let me go, you imbecile! I will tear you down and tear each and every one of those you love.”

“You won’t live to see the sun,” you seethed.

And you yanked the chainlink again, pulling with every ounce of strength you had. 

Bones snapped. A grisly scream hit the air. 

Slowly, you released the chains and opened your eyes. Vulgora’s form was still on the tile, mouth open. Blood seeped out of the body from an unseen wound. 

Gasping, you dropped to your knees, gazing at the body. Your fury had overwhelmed you. You had let your anger, your darkness take hold. You could’ve saved them, given them a second chance at life.

Instead, you took the breath from their soul. 

A strangled cry erupted from you and you began to shake. Clapping a bloody hand over your mouth, you rocked back and forth, your vision becoming blurry.

Melchior and Mercedes padded over to you, nudging you on either side, trying to provide comfort. But there was none to be had. You were a murderer through and through, no better than the villains you killed. No better than the Devil who sought to own you.

It seemed that maybe he already did.

“Thank you,” you whispered to the dogs. Even after what had happened, you were alive because of their bravery. You stroked each of them, tears pouring down your cheeks. “Thank you.”

They understood, snuggling next to you, indifferent to the red blood staining their snow-white fur. You bowed your head and Melchior licked your cheek while Mercedes nuzzled your arm.

It was silent save for the ragged sound of your breathing.

“OH MY GOD!”

Your heart rocketed into your throat. Your head snapped up and you saw the butler watching you. His jaw dropped and he glanced between the bodies and you. 

You froze. You know what it looked like. You, bloodied, holding a knife, two dead bodies on either side of you.

“Wait, please, they were trying to kill me…” You pleaded.

“The Countess’ magician murdered our courtiers! Someone help!” The butler shrieked.

No no no it was all wrong. Your rose and stumbled towards the butler. “You have to listen to me.”

“Don’t come any closer!” He shrank away. “Guards! Guards!”

He wasn’t going to stop. There was no alternative. You ran.

Feet pounding, you rushed down the hallway, shoving past the butler. You had to get out of the palace as fast as possible. Your mind raced through the possibilities. The entry hall would be full of guards. So would the garden. There had to be another way. 

A secret passage.

Every muscle in your body screamed to stop and rest. You were at the end of your strength. The fights had drained you. The running had fatigued you.

However, death still pursued you and you had to run.

You reached the library and flung the doors open. You could hear the collective shouts and grunts from guards on the chase.

Speeding through the rows of books, you made it to the far, back corner. Where was it? Your hands flew as you searched for that switch that had ejected you and Julian out of the room weeks ago. The memory of his hands on your body as he held you close, ready to protect you, bubbled up to the surface of your skin. What you wouldn’t give to be in those arms again now.

Fingers trailed over the spines of different tomes, pulling and plucking. 

The sounds of the armor of the guards clinking together neared.

Frantic, you began pulling out books, flinging them onto the floor. 

The library door opened.

The wall slid out in front of you and you jumped into the darkness. 

Brisk cold air hit your cheek as you tumbled out into the field. You groaned, your invisible wounds pulsating in pain.

A rough tongue licked your cheek. You blinked, seeing Melchior looking down at you. Though the hound did not speak, you felt he was asking you if you were alright.

Ruffling Melchior’s fur, you gave the hound a silent nod and rolled onto your stomach. Pushing yourself up onto your knees, you saw both dogs sat attentive, waiting for your next move.

“I have to go. And you cannot follow me.”

They whined in response, disagreeing, and circled you, brushing against you.

“I know. But you need to be here when Lucio returns.”

When they returned to find you gone, Lucio would be enraged, overwhelmed, upset. Only his hounds would be able to comfort him.

Daggers stabbed your heart. The thought of him hurt hurt you.

After everything that had happened, you still worried about him.

The dogs paused in front of you, solemn.

“Can you do something for me? Will you distract the guards?” 

They each nodded. You stood, then scratched behind their ears. “Thank you both. I won’t see you for a long time, but thank you for everything.”

With one last thank you, the dogs scampered back towards the palace. You hoped that they would buy you enough time to return to the shop.

The emotions began to rush back to you but you forced them down. There was no time to process, to reflect. You needed to go. You needed to prepare.

Through the night, you darted through the empty streets of Vesuvia, keeping to the shadows, willing your feet to endure. An hour passed and finally, you arrived at your shop. 

With your last bit of magic, you did away with the wards and unlocked the door. Rushing inside, you shut it and took a deep breath. There was little time. The guards would no doubt come to the shop to search for you once they realized you were no longer in the palace. And if they found you…

You had murdered the courtiers. You would be hanged. And though you couldn’t help one, you could have helped the other.

You had killed in cold blood.

Your lip quivered as you beelined for the back of the shop, and began searching the cabinets and shelves of potions for a rejuvenating one. Pushing bottles to the side, you found one that caught your eye: filled with a golden mixture.

You pulled it down and Asra’s warning echoed in your head. Too much could kill you, but ingesting none was signing your death.

Popping off the wooden top, you put it to your lips and drank. The sludge-like liquid poured down your mouth, sweet and tangy. You gulped and gulped, taking in the potion eagerly. You wanted it all, but you stopped at half the bottle.

Magic energy burst within you. Exploded into your mind, body, soul. It was exactly the kick you needed.

Running upstairs, you threw your dirty and stained clothes off and changed into new, clean ones. You grabbed a large pack and stuffed the rest of your clothes into it and a blanket. 

Dashing back down the stairs and into the shop, you dove behind the counter and took all the emergency cash from the box in the fake drawer.

After stuffing the money into the bag, you paused. You had everything you needed to flee the city. Sweeping your gaze around the shop, reality began to set in. You were leaving. You were leaving the only life you ever knew behind. Your home, your friends. Everything. 

Memories clouded your mind coupled with the emotions from the present. They would return and question where you’d gone. They would learn of the deaths of Vulgora and Valdemar and hear of your departure. 

You knew they would want to know you were safe. But leaving any information of your whereabouts would endanger you and make them accomplices.

Still, you wanted to leave a note for each of them. For Asra, forgiving him for keeping the truth of your origins from you. For Julian, reminding him he was worthy of happiness. For Nadia, encouraging her to accept help and remain fair. For Portia, asking her to follow her dreams. For Muriel, assuring him that friendship was better than isolation. And finally for Lucio, comforting him and inspiring him to help others and believe in himself.

You could’ve. There was a spell that would’ve taken your thoughts and put pen to paper and kept the letters hidden until they had visited the shop.

It would only take seconds.

But you didn’t.

It was better to leave no trace behind that could be used against them.

Warm tears filled your eyes and you whispered goodbye to the shop and left.

You fled down the cobblestone road, the rays of the sun just peeking over the horizon, the magic potion pumping in your veins. 

Minutes later, you made it to the dock. A small crew worked to untether a passenger boat and you hustled towards them. “Where are you headed?” You asked the overseer.

“Nevivon, but we’re not taking passengers.” He glanced at you dismissively. 

You dug a dozen gold coins out of your bag and slapped them into his hand. He looked down and his eyes widened. He gestured for you to board and you walked over the plank and onto the deck.

As the sun rose, the ship set sail, pulling away from the dock. You took up a position at the bow, watching Vesuvia wake to a new morning.

Your heart twisted in your chest. Had they returned? Did they know of what had befallen you? Were they searching for you? Had they even survived the encounter with the Devil?

Thousands of questions ran through your mind as Vesuvia started to become smaller and smaller with the ship sailing away. Your hands twisted the strap of your bag. More tears flooded out of your eyes, your heart breaking as you imagined their disappointment and pain. 

You regretted not leaving letters behind. It was stupid. It was horrible. They would be heartsick, wretched, despondent. Even if it protected them and you, you should have left them some sort of goodbye.

You would have to wait until you reached a new destination, a new home, wherever that would be.

However, a small voice in the back of your mind said otherwise. That it was best to leave it all behind and start fresh. Anew. For you could never go back to Vesuvia. You were a criminal. A fugitive.

The reality was you were alone in the world. 

All you had was you.


End file.
